We would be closer if MS can prove he's able to stay on the field, and then he needs to show he can make good pre-snap reads.

Reeves needs to show that he can continue to improve.
And we can always use another safety or two.
Or Ferguson and Wilson need to stay healthy and play at least at the same level as last year or better.
Or somebody needs to step up.

I think it is the culture. We need to do something, if thats get one real leader on the field through FA or wipe the whole staff clean I don't know. But I would be curious of who we kept from the Dom Capers era in the front office.

OL- Center. We need a guy who can take on these massive DT/NT's and not get shoved all over the field. I think that would solve a lot of our OL issues and improve our running game by leaps and bounds , especially in short yardage situations.

DT: We need one of those big nasty's up front who demands double teams and can hold his ground against the run.

SS & FS: Our safety play has been bad since day one, piss poor coverage and piss poor angles .... and some piss poor tackling.

I think it is the culture. We need to do something, if thats get one real leader on the field through FA or wipe the whole staff clean I don't know. But I would be curious of who we kept from the Dom Capers era in the front office.

Click to expand...

It's way to late to find new "Capers people to blame". It's well past the time for blaming the old ones too.

On defense we still need a stud DT that can drop anchor in the middle and tell the opposing OL "I'm not going anywhere." We also need a guy at the safety the position who can be competent defending the run and the pass.

On offense we still need a center who wont get steamrolled everytime we go up against a team who already has said stud DT.

Coaching wise:

We need a guy who can get the Texans ready to play consistently. Kubiak is obviously a very smart offensive coach but he lacks the fire a young team like us needs in order to get that competitive edge we so desperately need. Our players should've been talking about the inspiring pregame speech that got them ready to play on opening day not the opponent's players. It still boggles my mind how a coach can allow a team that has never had a winning season in their franchise's history to get comfortable and not be prepared to play every game.

I'm realistic, I know the teams that have PROVEN they are winners are bound to have a trap game every now and again. Hell, they're enitled to a hiccup here and there. But for the Texans to consistently do so is just ridiculous because we've only proven that unlike every other team in the NFL we've never had a winning season or made the playoffs!

I just want to see a competitive and tough team every Sunday. I want them to have a winning season more than anything because it is extremely difficult to make the playoffs out of the AFC. What I don't want to see is them get their teeth kicked in again for the umpteenth time. As far as what they're missing? I don't know, a spine?

For eight drafts now I've been hoping we would pick a big, fast workhorse running back who can get four yards every time he touches the ball and who can get the critical few yards necessary at the end of a game when the opponent is expecting the Texans to try to run.

For eight drafts now I've been disappointed.

The year we drafted Amobi, we were just three picks away from getting Adrian Peterson, perhaps the best back to come along in 20 or even 30 years. (Obviously we won't know for sure for several years to come, but right now he looks like an amazing back.) My feeling is that if we had gotten Peterson by trading up somehow, we would have been in the playoffs two years already.

When the hell is this organization finally going to realize that a franchise-type running back can mean the difference between mediocrity and excellence?

For eight drafts now I've been hoping we would pick a big, fast workhorse running back who can get four yards every time he touches the ball and who can get the critical few yards necessary at the end of a game when the opponent is expecting the Texans to try to run.

For eight drafts now I've been disappointed.

The year we drafted Amobi, we were just three picks away from getting Adrian Peterson, perhaps the best back to come along in 20 or even 30 years. (Obviously we won't know for sure for several years to come, but right now he looks like an amazing back.) My feeling is that if we had gotten Peterson by trading up somehow, we would have been in the playoffs two years already.

When the hell is this organization finally going to realize that a franchise-type running back can mean the difference between mediocrity and excellence?

Click to expand...

For a look back at hindsight since Kubiak took over just think if we would've signed Drew Brees then packaged a 1st and the 3rd we drafted Jacoby with (or one of the Schaub seconds if absolutely necessary) to draft Peterson...

Or hell, what if we had signed Michael Turner last year instead of Ahman Green the year before last? A Turner/Slaton or Peterson/Slaton combo would be the best in the league!!!

For a look back at hindsight since Kubiak took over just think if we would've signed Drew Brees then packaged a 1st and the 3rd we drafted Jacoby with (or one of the Schaub seconds if absolutely necessary) to draft Peterson...

Or hell, what if we had signed Michael Turner last year instead of Ahman Green the year before last? A Turner/Slaton or Peterson/Slaton combo would be the best in the league!!!

Click to expand...

Also great points.

Not getting some of the better free agents is starting to piss me off.

Why not make a play for Drew Brees? Why not make a better offer to Michael Turner?

We won four in a row last season, culminating in a win over the Titans. The next week we laid an egg in Oakland. That same team in Oakland showed up in Reliant last Sunday.

Click to expand...

The best team doesn't always win.

That being said, we beat some pretty good teams last year, when they had play-off implications for them. Chicago was out of the play-offs, and they needed the win to have chance. We smacked them in the mouth, and stopped them from doing what they do. & they were stepping stones on our way to be a top three offense, to send 3 players to the Pro-Bowl, and to have a second 8-8 season. Same thing for Tennessee in December. Smash & dash my ass. We stopped them, and they lost homefield advantage.

IMHO, we need consistency. That comes from doing the basics, the fundamentals right every time. IMHO, there was not a shortage of talent on the field Sunday. I lay the whole loss, on the coaches.

Whatever weaknesses the Jets had, we didn't see them, we didn't attack them, and we didn't do what we do.

They saw our weaknesses, attacked them, and took advantage of our agressiveness.

IMHO, all we need is for Kubiak to figure out how to make us play the way we did against Chicago & Tennessee on a regular basis. That can happen this year.. it could happen this week.

I still have hopes for a play-off appearance this year. I hope, we get a play-off win.

How far are we from being a good team? Are we one player away? If so, is that something we can solve by the trade deadline? Offense? Deffense?

Click to expand...

Possibly. I've been hearing the laments of the guys that have been preaching "go get a play-making safety" for years. Well, thanks to last weeks game, they've reached me. If there's a guy out there who can run like the wind, has good/great ball-hawking skills, and hit like a linebacker, we should spare no expense.
Two would be better.

Are we still as bad as we've ever been? With holes at every position? Is it going to take another draft or two?

Click to expand...

No. While we could use another stud here and there - who couldn't - we're no where near as bad as we were at the start of 2006. We already talked safety. The QB position - sorry Schaub-lovers - needs an upgrade. I've watched the game three times now (call me a masochist) and there were times where the line actually gave Schaub time to throw. There were other times when even the casual observer knew the blitz was coming. Seems like Schaub should have seen it too and checked to a better play or just called timeout, if the two plays given to him by Kyle looked doomed to failure. If Kubiak doesn't have confidence that his QB has good recognition skills, then why the hell is he starting??

Had you asked me that first question a month ago, I would have said, "No." Loudly. Now, I'm not so sure. Kubiak looked whipped and lost for most of the game. I don't know if it was dismay because what he thought should work kept blowing up in his face or that he nor Kyle could not identify any Jet weaknesses his offense could exploit.

For this season, I'd make three changes.
1) No more annointing a starter. If Rex looked better in practice than Schaub, Rex starts. If Slaton keeps auditioning for Dancing With The Stars, he gets yanked and Chris Brown plays. Everyone, from Schaub on down, earns their spot, by their in-game production, from week to week.

2) I'd comb the weeds for better DBs. And not at the clearance rack either. If I could get someone with experience for a 2nd day pick, I'm getting him. If I can get a shutdown guy for a 1st day pick, I'm getting him.
All you Draft-A-Stud-DB guys have converted me to the dark side.

3) Flush this we gotta establish the run B.S. There's too much speed/talent at WR/TE on this team not to use it. I'll bet Mike Marsh could have a field day with the pass-catchers we have.

For future seasons, draft football players. Screw the combine numbers. Does the guy run/hit/catch/cover/tackle?? Get the guys that do those things the best.
Does he thump his chest and say "look at me" when he makes a routine tackle?
Yes? Sorry. Can't use you.
Can you play and are you all about doing whatever it takes to win? Welcome aboard. Here's your uni.

OL- Center. We need a guy who can take on these massive DT/NT's and not get shoved all over the field. I think that would solve a lot of our OL issues and improve our running game by leaps and bounds , especially in short yardage situations.

DT: We need one of those big nasty's up front who demands double teams and can hold his ground against the run.

SS & FS: Our safety play has been bad since day one, piss poor coverage and piss poor angles .... and some piss poor tackling.

Click to expand...

I would like to add to that... a shut down CB as well. The rest, I totally agree with

That being said, we beat some pretty good teams last year, when they had play-off implications for them. Chicago was out of the play-offs, and they needed the win to have chance. We smacked them in the mouth, and stopped them from doing what they do. & they were stepping stones on our way to be a top three offense, to send 3 players to the Pro-Bowl, and to have a second 8-8 season. Same thing for Tennessee in December. Smash & dash my ass. We stopped them, and they lost homefield advantage.

IMHO, we need consistency. That comes from doing the basics, the fundamentals right every time. IMHO, there was not a shortage of talent on the field Sunday. I lay the whole loss, on the coaches.

Whatever weaknesses the Jets had, we didn't see them, we didn't attack them, and we didn't do what we do.

They saw our weaknesses, attacked them, and took advantage of our agressiveness.

IMHO, all we need is for Kubiak to figure out how to make us play the way we did against Chicago & Tennessee on a regular basis. That can happen this year.. it could happen this week.

I still have hopes for a play-off appearance this year. I hope, we get a play-off win.

We have got some legitimate all pros on this team, and a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Yeah, there are some holes that need patched, but teams with lesser talent have done better than 500 seasons.